Champions Trophy, Dec 2005. (Post-mortem analaysis/articles)

India1989 · Post by **India1989** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 10:59 pm

Cricket is too much of a problem. Well those are good excuses. I dont' know what to say. But I can say is that i have no hope for this Indian team again unless the other teams deteorate and good players retire from the other team faster.

Hockey_Stik · Post by **Hockey_Stik** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 12:37 pm

Btw il start wid the great reasoning thread..

-3: Rajinder: Well i am trying my best to get rid of this job.. but Mr.Gill is hell bent on me coaching till the WC and seeing a new low for Indian Hockey. I will try and get worse results, wid even less of imagination and game plan on the field.. I AM TRYING MY BEST!!

Mugu, very well said. If one wants a clip of hockey or if a game has finished and wants to know the result then one has to wait forever and surf all the channels for tht one line of news.

The most weird thing that i have found is ESPN's attitude to all this. Firstly they say, they want to promote hockey and then fail to get hold of TV rights for Hockey events.

Secondly, all the ceremonies of the unvieling the foreign players(even tho the players were not present! ) for PHL06 was an affair which forget the news channels, even ESPN did not show on TV. I seen some pictures on www.gettyimages.com and it was a good display by ESPN, but...

I think, ESPN and TEN will have to start wid giving Hockey more of airspace. The rest will follow if the results are good. During the Olympics, i remember we used to have pre-match analysis on AAJTAK. They used to discuss the team composition,stratergy, pros, cons and alot of other details..

The CT has been a disaster, but i hope and hope

Mr.Rajinder wil be sacked. He is not a bad coach but he is not for the international arena.. very frankly... i think he lacks inspiration and team building qualities...

Even during the CT, one could hardly get any info about the team. I think a small cover on all 16 players.. could have been a nice fill up by TEN but NO!!!

Just a very small notice, in the final game Adrian and Salman.. who started the CT wid ASIAN XI were benched..

But have to admit India needs to solve its NON_GOAL_SCORING_FORWARDS problem ASAP!! If not we will not be going anywhere and we hockey lovers will rue why we are always second to cricket!!

Btw, in abt 2 months time we will know if the number of countries for the CT06 in Spain have been increased to 8 or no...

If 8 then.. India and Korea can expect an entry.. India cause they finished 6th and Korea came 2nd in the champions challenge...

But, frankly its not whether we play or not.. guys show more passion, like the Netherland game.

Cheers!
~stik

puneets · Post by **puneets** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 7:19 pm

Indian hockey hits new low - An article from DNA-India website.

Post by **jayakris** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 9:32 pm

Here is S.Thyagarajan's final comments on the Champions Trophy

Constant chopping and changing have had a disastrous effect

That article makes me puke. He is a keen observer of the game, but the old-fashioned views and small thinking into all the usual remedies is what makes me puke.

Our problems are so straight-forward that any foreign coach can see it. What we lack (and have seemingly lacked for ever) is a coach with some level of intelligence in coaching strategy. The absolute lack of passing ability under pressure against any team that plays to even minimal strategy, is very much there for anybody to see. And we keep going back to stuff like physical conditioning, chopping and changing the team, etc.

A close scrutiny of the matches played in the Champions Trophy reveals that India was involved in three tight games against Spain, Germany and Netherlands. The only heavy defeat came against Australia.

What is he talking about? ... This kind of rationalization is what gives people like Gill, Jyotikumaran and Rajinder Singh(s) the rope they need .. The moment any team decide to play a little bit of smart hockey, our team is on the receiving end, praying for something to happen. Does Thyagarajan really believe that India was ready to beat any of those teams that we came close against? .. For me, except for 10 minutes against Pakistan when PAK looked like they had partied the last night and had hangovers, we did not look in control at any time .. Just having the ball with us and moving around is not any sort of control, even if many like to think it is .. For years (decades) we have been coming "close" to so many teams - but almost invariably, there wasn't a chance we were going to win against most teams .. We knew it when we were watching the matches .. We need to stop hallucinating about romance hockey and all that stuff whenever we run around with some "ooh, aah" stickwork ..

The point is that every coach (except many of the Pakistan coaches) know how to get ahead of India and stay ahead .. All it takes is to disrupt our "individuals's" plans .. These guys are absolutely not coached in TEAM hockey fundamentals - and nobody in India has so far looked smart enough to combine our strengths to team hockey that relies on coordination, multiple strike plans and passing schemes.

"Forward line has to be made sharper" - what a bunch of crap! .. The forward line has enough scoring abilities, but if they are always trying to convert half chances (mostly the chances coming without any clear plan in their mind) and we cannot even push a PC in properly or come up with some plan in free-hits outside the circle, we will constantly be praying for goals. The inability to force PCs has been there for ever. When was the last time we got more PC chances than ANY team we played? .. Why? .. COACHING, damnit, coaching!

ARGH. People like Thyagarajan in the media are a problem .. I respect the man because he clearly bleeds blue and is crying about Indian hockey as much as anybody else - but those like him need to start admitting that we have a clear problem when it comes to intelligent coaching. They should look closely at what the other teams are doing, rather than say that other teams are all just players in good physical condition and that they all have great mental strengths etc (bull***! .. Indians' mental strengths are not at all behind; they are not coached to use their mind properly, that's all) .. Those teams are not filled with better players than India's team either, in pure talent/abilities with the stick. They are coached better.

The rest of what he says are all correct once a foreign coach is in place - about giving the team some time and stability and the coach some free hand, about the length of preparation camp, etc etc. But if you do not get to the root of the problem, none of that matters.

Jay

PS: I repeat that there are of course some Indian coaches who can coach some modern strategy etc - but they won't be successful, as many players, part of various cliques, will not listen and execute properly. They will listen to a foreigner at least for some time till they are convinced whether his ideas are right/wrong.

India1989 · Post by **India1989** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 10:26 pm

I feel so sorry for Indian hockey man. I am myself a good hockey goalie. I have been hockey goalie in so many matches in school and have been decent and told the people that Indians are really good in hockey but seeing the condition I am so sad. This needs to improve, somehow.

BSharma · Post by **BSharma** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 2:28 am

Usually I don't care about Pakistani hockey team, but I was curious what kind of excuses the Pakistani coach made after the sub-par performance of the team that had won the Rabo Bank tournament in Holland in August.

Excuses of Pakistani coach Asif Bajwa:

1. Mohammad Saqlain who faced a three-match ban imposed on him by FIH had his suspension lifted temporarily by IOC days before the start of the tournament.

2. Weather in Chennai.

3. Shabbir retired hurt.

Coach is all excuses for poor performance - Dawn newspaper

Coach Rajinder Singh is in good company. Why take the blame when you can blame the players and the weather?

Post by **jayakris** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 2:24 pm

Here is a VERY good article in the Times of India today. It was only in the print edition (ePaper). As it is a free article, I will post in its entirity (the article will remain accessible at their site for a week if you want to see the pictures, boxes etc.

This article is in good contrast to Thyagarajan's post-mortem that I posted yesterday ..

I have put in bold and underline some of the parts which I liked very much. My comments in color ..
------------------------------------

Time for another witch-hunt

Will it be the coach who has tried to mask his deficiencies by pointing to an intransigent group of senior players?

By V Narayan Swamy/ TNN

Chennai: India’s ignominious loss to Pakistan in the classification match of the Champions Trophy on Sunday has led to a familiar echo in the upper echelons of the game — Rajinder Singh just does not have the credentials to coach the Indian team.
The Indian Hockey Federation’s lengthy, expensive preparation — not for the first time — has met with the same fate. This is thanks to its policy of handing over some of its best players to a man who is hardly in sync with modern hockey.
Team sources chuckled as they revealed what transpired at meetings. Low key as they were, no ideas emanated from the other side. Instead, players were asked what could possibly be done for a victory.
The only positive aspect in the entire exercise was the video analysis, organised with a discernible amount of dedication by assistant coach Clarence Lobo.
Team sources were at pains to defend the sudden dip in the form of the players, saying it was very difficult to keep them motivated constantly over a long period of time. “How do you expect to play against an opponent who ran through you by exploiting every weakness of yours? You are caught unawares in every step. There is no doubt we need better players for certain positions. There are quite a few passengers in this team. But before any match, players look to solutions from the coach. With no solution coming from him, how long can a player continue to be confident about his team’s chances?’’
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BINGO!!!! ... This is eaxactly what I was saying was the problem. It was oh-so obvious to see in the matches. The opponents (any decent coach) can dissect our game and shackle it down so easily that it is a shame. WE LOOK STUPID (because we are!)

more from the article -----------

... The surge against Holland came as a big surprise but it was again player power that made it happen. “A few players decided they had to get together and deliver. It was collective experience that helped India hold fort. We may have lost but there were stellar individual performances that made the big difference between a close match and a big defeat.’’
Surely, the IHF is aware of this mess. What is baffling here is the way they have targeted the players after every debacle on the field and ignored the wisdom in looking for a man who would talk tactics and find long-term solutions to typical Indian problems. So whose head is on the block this time? The players for having ‘let down’ the country or the coach who has time and again tried to mask his deficiencies by pointing to an intransigent group of senior players? That will be known soon as the familiar rigmarole of witch-hunting begins. The long-term impact will be laid bare too once it is clear what the IHF’s intention is — whether it is providing a fresh coat to paint to a crumbling edifice or focussing on the foundation where the actual problem lies.

Expert Comments Box:

ON RAJINDER SINGH

V Baskaran: Removing Rajinder is not the ideal solution. Who will he be replaced with? Rajinder is new to the latest techniques. So give him a good support team that takes care of the scientific aspects. Teams like Australia have Olympians and experts working as a team, even during matches. Let us do something on those lines.

M P Ganesh: There is no point in changing coaches. Rajinder has to continue but with constructive support from a team of experts.

Pargat Singh: Why blame one man? We have to change the system. We have to adopt a more methodical way of functioning. We need to appoint coaches on a long-term — at least three to four years — before expecting results from them.

Ashish Ballal: Sack Rajinder Singh. He is not in touch with the real world. He has not been following international hockey for many years now. Just because he has had one good run on the national scene does not give him the credentials to be the national coach.
----------------------------------------------

Perhaps some of these experts are right that a coach like Rajinder would do if there are "experts" supporting him. BUt I think they are underestimating the importance of the coach in imparting confidence and spirit in players. Unless the head coach has the authority of wisdom, it is a lost cause, how many ever experts support him. We need a Charlesworth

-- That is my expert comment

.. back to the article,

----------------------------------------------

GOALKEEPING

Poor anticipation and reflexes were obvious in the four goals that Adrian D’Souza let in against Australia. Premature charging, sliding and inability to effectively cover the second angle too made things easy for the opponents. Bharat Chetri was a lot more composed, tempering his spontaneity with sound judgement. Showed better understanding of the flight of the ball in penalty corners. But he too fell to immense pressure in the last match against Pakistan.

Ashish Ballal (Olympian): Of late, Adrian tends to fall down too much. He is a goalkeeper who does his work running or standing. But he has been sliding, sometimes without reason. He is having a lean patch but that can happen to any goalkeeper. Chetri had an outstanding tournament. This is the first major tournament where he got a real good chance to show his ability. I am sure he will understand how to cope with pressure in due course.

RATING 6/10

DEFENCE

Kanwalpreet Singh and Harpal Singh started off well but restricted themselves to the basic work of tackling, trapping and release. They were bound to trip here — owing to inexperience and fatigue — and that is what happened against the big teams. Kanwalpreet showed poise initially but faltered in the basics against tougher teams. Harpal too was easy picking for teams like Australia and Pakistan. William Xalxo, used as the third defender in the last two matches, only added to the number. Positioning and anticipation too were conspicuous by their absence.

V Baskaran (Olympian and former captain): Kanwalpreet Singh can definitely improve. We lacked in basics and an eye to determine where our opponents are. Scanning — the art of sensing who is behind them — has to be perfected.

RATING 4/10
-----

This is another area where a coach can play a BIG part. Do proper video analysis, expect where the opponents could tend to be. Sacn and position yourself properly. Yes, "scanning" is a fundamental item in defense (and much of it cannot be taught to national level players), but it is much easier to do well when you KNOW what the opponent could do. THAT is a coaching issue. Back to the article ..
------

MIDFIELD

Though there was variety and talent, the tendency to attack showed up a tad too much at the expense of creativity. Viren Rasquinha was overworked and an injury to him cut open the midfield. Vikram Pillay and Ignace Tirkey could hardly carve a positive move. Counters were staged but forays stemming out of midfield ingenuity were not there. V S Vinay was quick on the right but overindulgent with his dribbles.

V Baskaran: Not very encouraging. The midfield must have six strong players. Most teams have a powerful set of midfielders and change players only when they are tired. But the Indians substituted players because they played badly. One area of concern is left half. We used too many players. It is not a matter of who can or may play but who will play with conviction.

RATING 5/10

FORWARDLINE

Gagan Ajit Singh was an offcolour spearhead. Prabhjot Singh was wasteful and slow. Rajpal Singh and Ravipal were flashy and enamoured by stickwork. One hardly got to see Adam Sinclair and V Raja. Arjun Hallappa stood out with his fine sense of ball release, tireless running and positioning. Many changes required here.

M P Ganesh (former captain and Olympian): The team has to combine inborn skills with those ideal for modern hockey. The forwardline has to be taught the merits of group tactics, better understanding and communication, the two versus one situations, and the art of bringing pressure on the rival team. I don’t blame the boys because they were not taught these techniques.

RATING 3/10

========================

I also particularly liked MP Ganesh's comments on what is the problem with the forward line ..

IHF should read that article carefully, if they need to improve the situation. Players are not the problem. Yeah, a couple of them can use some serious mentoring and lecturing on attitude etc, but that is not what is preventing us from lookin stupid and losing to any team out there.

Jay

mugu · Post by **mugu** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 7:27 pm

A few crucial points emerge from the analysis by the correspondent:
1) Rajinder Jr knew very little about coaching and he hardly ever raised a point in team meetings after a match or prior to a match. He contributed practically nil in analysis etc.
2) The video analysis, done by assistantc oach Clarence Lobo, was useful
3) Difficult to keep players motivated over a long period of time (whatever was meant by that!)
4) A few players decided that they had to get together and deliver against Holland. And they almost delivered
The last one first: This is a serious charge. That the players decided that they had to do something and they gathered together and did it their own way against Holland! The question is not about whether they played anything at all according to what the coaches might have said (even based the latters’ ignorance), but if they did manage to play well (against Holland, according to their assessment and that of the writer), why couldn’t they do it against Pakistan in the subsequent match at least, if not the whole tournament?
I have heard these kinds of comments even in the days of Cedric D’ Souza. That the players knew nothing about (it’s the other way round here, for a change, you may notice!) what Cedric was talking and teaching and then, one day, they said “Let’s **** Coach’s ideas, let’s play our way”. And Lo and Behold, they almost succeeded.
Almost. That’s how it has always been. For the past 25 years; take out a few Asian-level wins, if you want.
When a team fails, there will be many theories, some of them correct and some of them far from the truth. No one will take responsibility. That’s an Indian trait.
Keeping players motivated for long periods: Can’t make that out. Five matches, at home. Huge minus for the Europeans at least on the weather front. Knowledgeable crowds. What more do you need to motivate.
Video anaylysis by Lobo. If that was useful then what else was needed? (“No ideas emanated from the other side”, says the writer and whosoever happened to be the team source. The team management apart from Rajinder and Lobo also contained Harmeek Singh as manager. An outstanding left half in his days, Olympian, long-standing coach, who has also coached Indian teams, assistant coach to Balkrishan Singh for long at the NIS Patiala and chief coach after Balkrishan’s retirement, Harmeek knows all about modern theories and trends. Or does he not? He must have at least taught a hundred aspiringc oaches all about modern theories,trends, tactics etc He in fact was seen shouting instructions to players more than Rajinder Jr)
As for Rajinder Jr’s plus or minus points, or lack of knowledge, maybe it doesn’t matter any more. He will go. Sooner or later. We have been having a new coach after every major assignment and it will continue.
But let’s also look at some of the other comments:
Ashish Ballal: Sack Rajinder Singh. He is not in touch with the real world. He has not been following international hockey for many years now. Just because he has had one good run on the national scene does not give him the credentials to be the national coach.
We have seen better qualified coaches, Cedric, Baskaran, Jagbir et al. What happened?
In the whole of the article, the writer praises just one player, apart from GK Chhetri. And that player is Arjun Halappa, who according to me was well below par and should be told to put in hundred per cent of his body and soul into the matches in the coming months failing which he should be dropped from the Indian team.
Is there, then, a touch of parochial bias in Mr. Narayan Swamy’s analysis ("Arjun Hallappa stood out with his fine sense of ball release, tireless running and positioning"), when he praises just Halappa, I wonder! (BTW, This is what Manish Kumar had to say in his analysis in DNA on Halappa: The most experienced player after Gagan Ajit, Arjun was lacklustre in crucial matches, average in some)
I will in due course post my analysis of each and every player, for whatever it is worth, especially in the light of the ratings given by TOI and DNA.

[/i]

Kumar · Post by **Kumar** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 2:38 am

Mugu thanx for the analysis..

Jay, I also read the article by Thyagarajan.. I was surprised that he didn't come out and attack IHF strongly... I am guessing he didn't want to bash the current IHF setup (becoz Jothikumaran is from TN?)

*sridinats* · Post by ***sridinats*** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 3:18 am

For the last 2 days HT has been bringing out full page articles on Indian Hockey and stuff on KPSG...It started yesterday and today they have published the 2nd part of their report on Indian hockey...Someone who can access their e-paper could post the link out here!

Sridhar

mugu · Post by **mugu** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 5:37 am

It's a one-time free registration.
Here's the link to HT e-paper:
http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/login.aspx

Sathya · Post by **Sathya** » Fri Dec 30, 2005 5:56 am

Dear Mr.Mugu, I am eagerly awaiting your analysis of India's performance in CT 2005 which you said you will post soon.

genius · Post by **genius** » Fri Dec 30, 2005 8:35 am

I really don't see hockey eating into cricket's time often as it does not have the same appeal to the indian population as well in many other countires.
Also lack of a clear superstar like sachin whose skills people would pay to
watch keenly.

mugu · Post by **mugu** » Mon Jan 02, 2006 5:24 am

sathya wrote:Dear Mr.Mugu, I am eagerly awaiting your analysis of India's performance in CT 2005 which you said you will post soon.

My apologies for the delay.
But here are my ratings:
Goalkeepers:
Adrian D’ Souza: Had a nightmare against Australia. By the time he woke up, he found himself on the bench. And remained there for the rest of the tournament. Should be retained for future.
Bharat Chhetri: Adrian’s nightmare brought him in. He was superb throughout, but let in the lone goal against Germany that could have been stopped. He was terrific against Holland.
Backs:
Kanwalpreet Singh: Took over the main role in defence in the absence of Dilip Tirkey. And did an excellent job. He was, like the rest of the defence, clueless in those disastrous 20 minutes against Australia. But did well against Germany and raised his performance a notch against Holland.
Harpal Singh: Performed better than expected. But still the weakest link in defence. Hesitates to tackle when rival forwards are inside `D’; waits for the next move or else leaves the job to another defender. Conceded penalty corners easily. Should be out when Tirkey comes back.
William Xalxo: Not given much chance, though brought back belatedly against Germany and then against Holland. Played well enough to merit retention. Made the crucial mistake against Holland (of not looking for umpire’s signal and taking a free hit wrongly that resulted in PC. Come to think of it, but for that foolish mistake by him, we might have played for the bronze! But then he is a superb defender, otherwise, and should have learnt his lesson). In the long-term perspective, he has a big role to play for India.
Half backs:
V. S. Vinay: Brilliant dribbler, but that proved his weakness. Held onto the ball too much. Looked better while in the forward-line. Has the knack of breaking through defence, but invariably erred with the final pass. Would be more useful as an inside forward, though he is a good tackler and hence full value in defence, too. A utility player.
Vikram Pillay: The most consistent player in the Indian midfield, whether in defence or in attack and at all positions. Had a superb match against Holland. (After the tournament, the chief coach mentioned that Vikram was injured. All the more credit, but then if the injury was known, then IHF should be blamed for allowing such a player.)
Viren Rasquinha: Injuries meant that he was not available full time against any of the teams bar Pakistan. Was not in the playing 16 against Holland. Good in defence. His defensive approach, however, was apparent whenever he played.
Ignace Tirkey: Solid as ever. Made the mistake against Australia that led to the second goal. Comfortable at left half, center half and as additional center half.
Sandeep Singh: Coaches had difficulty in finding a place for him, so much so that he was in the forward-line both against Germany and Holland. But undoubtedly he is the match-winner for India with his PC flicks. Will be expected to improve his defensive skills in the months to come. Scored three of the six goals that India had in CT05 at the end of league stage.
Arjun Halappa: When he was named in the team as a half-back, wondered what his role would be. Played in the forward-line, though falling back in midfield more often. Was subdued and ineffective in the first three matches. Played to around 60 per cent capacity against Holland. And that was his best!
Forwards:
Rajpal Singh: Workhorse; nothing more. (Injuries prevented him to be in the 16 for latter matches)
Gagan Ajit Singh: Had to do much of the scheming for the team in the absence of any meaningful contribution from Halappa in most matches. Not really at his best, but worked hard against some tight marking. There were a few bad misses and a few good attempts from difficult positions. He found himself isolated when counter-attacking and had to wait for colleagues to get into position. India would have been looking forward to him scoring the most number of goals, but there he disappointed. (In the 2006 perspective, Gagan remains a key figure in the Indian team.)
Tushar Khandekar: After an initial flurry, did not really pick up in the later matches. Worked hard, has that nose for openings, but will need to strike some kind of understanding with Gagan to be more effective in future. Like Vinay, found it difficult to come up with the final pass after runs down flanks. Scored both the field goals that India scored in this tournament up to the end of round-robin phase, one against Pakistan and one against Australia.
V. Raja: Played in spells in a couple of matches. Too early induction at this level. That left the coach with very little options in the frontline.
Ravipal: Not up to mark.
Adam Sinclair. Was not expected to do anything anyway. Was brought in as substitute against Germany and Holland and did contribute against Holland with that break that should have resulted in Prabhjot scoring.
Prabhjot Singh: Had a poor match against Spain. Was dropped against Pakistan and Australia. Came back against Germany and contributed well to almost all the attacks that India had. Was once again disappointing against Holland, though he was never allowed time to settle down, being brought in for short spells. Missed two chances against Holland. (Will retain him for the next tournament despite all-round criticism)
While selecting the next team, I will first exclude players who can be excluded without a moment’s hesitation: Say Harpal, Rajpal, Ravipal, Sinclair et al. Then I will see who were unjustly excluded earlier, Deepak Thakur for example.
The question of players like Prabhjot Singh will then come up. Is there another player who can replace him? If yes, bring him in (not of the class of Ravi Pal and Sinclair but someone who plays well above the level of Prabhjot.) If not, let’s retain Prabhjot. Even the great Teun de Nooijer misses chances. And Holland missed plenty in the final against Australia.

BSharma · Post by **BSharma** » Mon Jan 02, 2006 8:12 pm

The winter break gave me a chance to see many taped matches held at the Chennai Champions Trophy. I am not a hockey expert, but I will share my observations about the Indian team, and I hope that other forum members who saw the matches live or on TV can educate me if my observations are right or wrong.

I had watched some matches involving the Indian hockey team in the past few years, and I had held the belief that the problems facing Indian hockey were due to inept hockey officials and bad coaches, and not due to lack of skills of our players. It became apparent to me after watching more than eight matches held at Chennai that Indian players are as much part of the problem as the hockey coaches and IHF. I waited a few days to write my report so that it is not reflective of my biases due to my anger and frustration, and that time will soften it.

There were some positives about the Indian team, and Bharat Chetri was one of them. His brilliant performance under the goalpost saved the Indian team from further humiliation of lop-sided scores. Indian hockey fans came out in large numbers and appreciated good hockey. Indian players are not smaller or less muscular compared to the European and Australian players, and did not lack in strength. Our players, however, were not as swift.

I felt that the Indian players lacked the skills befitting donning the Indian team colors. The basic hockey skills of trapping and passing the ball were substandard. There was lack of communication among the Indian players and they appeared to run out of ideas in their own or opposing team’s D.

Dribbling:
Everyone knows that Indian players tend to dribble more than they should, but the style of dribbling was different between the Indian/Pakistan players and the European players. The sub-continent players used stick work to get past their opponents and it slowed them down as they tried to weave their way through the defenders. European players tended to dribble like football players, and used head fake or body fake to throw the defenders off and continued to move the ball at full speed. The body fakes often caught our defenders flat-footed and they could not recover in time to catch up to the opposing forwards.

Set play:
The Indian team lacked precision to convert the set pieces into goals, and Indian players often went to the wrong places to receive the passes or the players passed the ball to the wrong places. Indian players also had trouble getting open in the opposing D to receive the pass, and often the players waited for the ball to come to them rather than getting away from the man-to-man marking to receive the pass. The cross pass into the D from the right flank was often wasted because the ball went to the opponents, or the Indian players did not move in front of the goal to receive it.

Play within the D:
Indian defenders often panicked within their own D, and had trouble clearing the ball or gave up penalty corners. The defenders also had trouble staying with their man and often left them unmarked to score goals.

The Indian forwards ran out of ideas when they got into the opponent’s D. They hesitated for a second or two before taking a shot at the goal and thus gave valuable time to the defenders to recover and stop the goal. Indian players also did not come to help the lone forward who dribbled the ball into the D.

Penalty corners:

There were few variations, and despite talking about it in the huddle before the PC attempt, the Indian players sometimes went to the wrong place to score off the variation. Our players failed to pounce on the ball when the goalkeeper stopped the ball with the pads and the ball remained in the D.

Scooping the ball:
Occasionally the Indian players would scoop the ball into the opponent’s half, but invariably the Indian forwards were too slow to get to the ball. Occasionally the ball was scooped forward without any set play or plan.

Problems and solutions:
Good coaching can correct the faults of the Indian players, but to see these faults in the national team players shows the lack of proper coaching at junior level and lack of discipline/motivation in the national team players to improve their skills. I may be wrong but I think that the Indian players are often clueless because the coaches (starting from the junior level) do not allow them to think on their own, and we are no longer seeing the emergence of playmakers like Dhanraj.

Young Indian hockey players are growing up playing on grass fields instead of Astroturf and they have to relearn the modern game once they make the state level teams. Grass fields tend to favor the traditional Indian style hockey, and India will have to invest in bringing Astroturf fields to junior players for our players to learn modern hockey from a young age.

FYI, the FIH website is now showing highlights of some matches held in Chennai for FREE.

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